MLB Player News

Rooker will appear in the outfield for the second time this season as the club appears to be preparing for the inevitable arrival of top prospect Nick Kurtz, who will presumably take over as the club’s starting first baseman with Tyler Soderstrom shifting to DH. His promotion doesn’t appear imminent, but it’s definitely coming in the near future, thanks to his absurd start to the season at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Within one week, the Braves have lost Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy to injuries and Jonah Heim to waivers. That’s a drastic loss of catching depth. For the next month or so, it seems like Sandy Leon will be the starting catcher, with Tromp also mixing in a couple of times a week. That’s a big blow to both the offense and the pitching staff in Atlanta

Well, this is a bummer. Baldwin has been one of the best catchers in baseball this season, slashing .303/.389/.543 with 13 home runs, 38 RBI, and one steal in 48 games. He ranks first among catchers in home runs, first in runs scored, second in RBIs, and second in wRC+. He needs to be held in all league types, even if you don’t have an IL spot. Hopefully, he can return some time in June.

Morabito will be the third rookie outfielder on the Mets’ roster, joining A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge. The 23-year-old Morabito is the 11th-ranked prospect in the Mets’ system. He can play all three outfield positions, and was slashing .253/.364/.390 in 41 games at Triple-A with four home runs and 14 steals. He also looked good in the Arizona Fall League after last season, posting a .914 OPS in 80 plate appearances. Unlike Ewing and Benge, Morabito is unlikely to step into a big role. He will most likely start against some left-handed pitchers and can also be used as a defensive replacement in the outfield.

Muncy has been sidelined since April 28th with a fractured finger. He has just begun his swing progressions, so he will likely need to hit off of a tee, do front toss, and then work up to hitting off a machine and live pitching. He’s still likely a couple of weeks away from getting into rehab games.

Wilson has been out since May 10th with left shoulder subluxation. As of now, he is continuing to strengthen and stabilize his shoulder before reintroducing baseball activities. There is no timeline for his return until he can begin baseball activities.

Clarke has been on the injured list since April 22nd with a midfoot bone bruise. He will likely need a couple of games to ensure that his foot can hold up to playing back-to-back games in the outfield. After that, the A’s will have a dilemma on their hands. Clarke was really struggling as a hitter, slashing .170/.228/.189 with a 40 percent strikeout rate. However, he is also an elite defender. If the A’s want to call up Clarke, they’d need to send one of Carlos Cortes, Lawrence Butler, or Henry Bolte to the minors.

The plan is for Lukes to then play a couple of games in the outfield before the next steps are set. He may be promoted to a higher level, or he could return right after that. We should know more by the end of the week.

Kirk has been doing hitting drills and caught a Shane Bieber (elbow) bullpen over the weekend. However, he feels his fractured thumb more when he’s hitting than when he’s catching, which is why he hasn’t fully started hitting off of live pitching yet. We should have a better idea of his timeline when he can do that.

After the Reds took a one-run lead in the top of the 8th inning, Stott clubbed a two-run home run off Graham Ashcraft to put the Phillies on top for good. Stott has had really good contact metrics all season, but the production hadn’t been there early on. It’s starting to tick up lately. In May, Stott is hitting .254 with five doubles, five home runs, 18 RBIs, and an .890 OPS in 15 games. Those 18 RBIs lead all of Major League Baseball in the month.

Andujar homered with one out in the bottom of the first, and the lead held up for the rest of the game. It was his second straight start batting second. It’s an odd fit for such an aggressive hitter, but since he’s hot right now, the Padres might as well lean into it. Andujar is batting .298/.319/.504 in 135 plate appearances. Nothing much suggests he’ll keep slugging like this, but he’ll be a lineup fixture for San Diego until he cools off.